“Game of Thrones” and the Nerd Theory

Everyone on Earth is a “nerd.”

Whether it’s about astronomical theories or about baseball statistics, people have an obsession for obsessing. For many college students nationwide, the HBO series “Game of Thrones” is their vice when it comes to complete “nerdiness.” The epic series, which is based off of George R.R. Martin’s novel collection, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” allows viewers to stimulate their minds with as many dungeons and dragons as they can handle while simultaneously maintaining a riveting and suspenseful plot line. Aside from the obvious qualities of the show, however, there are a few features that truly separate “Game of Thrones” from the rest.

In its first season, “GoT” maintained a simple, introductory plot that was safe for the show economically while also sustaining a large viewership. There was suspense, conflict, crime and sex (maybe a little too much sex) and by the middle of the season it was a powerhouse. SPOILER ALERT: What really changed the game, however, was when the main character of the entire first season was beheaded at the end of episode nine. Right then and there I knew the show was legit. “GoT” had done something that no other show had ever done; its main character was killed off in its first season! After that episode, my “nerdiness” increased exponentially and I NEEDED more Mid Evil scandal in my life.

Throughout the next two seasons shit only got realer in the land of Westeros.

Dragons were flying in the east and war was raging in the west. Obscure character development took place and complete foils would build relationships that viewers fell in love with. The writers knew they were dominating the entertainment world and they continued to amaze and surprise with every episode. They figured out how to weave through 6+ major story lines without causing confusion. One moment the setting would be a palace in a desert with slaves polishing gold and then all of a sudden there would be zombie-like creatures killing humans in a snow storm. I would explain the episodes to my parents with such excitement that they began to think that I was turning into my video game-hoarding, heliophobic little brother.

However, season three eventually ended in the beginning of the 2013 summer and the long nine-month wait commenced. So many plots were thickened at the end of the last season and the wait was almost unbearable as season four grew closer, but in the words of Drizzy Drake, “We made it!”

On Sunday April 6th, the season four of the series premiered, and it was simply fantastic.

The writers did not hold back and the excitement picked up right where it left off. New characters were introduced, murder was still a prevalent source for plot twisters and intensity between the clashing story lines deepened significantly. It is safe to say that my nerd level is going to skyrocket over the course of the next three months, and I could not be more excited about it.

Being a closet nerd for television series is one of my guilty pleasures and shows like “Game of Thrones” completely fulfill those desires. “Game of Thrones” is not just a show, but it is an escape from the hustle and bustle of college life. Whether you’re a frat star, a hipster, a chemical engineer, an athlete, or something in between, at the end of the day we are all nerds.

And on Sunday evenings at 9 p.m., my fellow fantasy land fiends and I get treated with an hour-long fix.

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